Workmen's advocate., 1887-01-08
WOMEN IN POLITICS.
Their Interests Equal to Those of Men.
 Majority Rule Representation.

In view of the fact that the State of New | Iork is soon to have con stltutional convention, and the ques~ ton of woman suffrage will come up for consideration, it may be well for workingmen to consider the advan- tagos to Labor that woman suffrage would bring, as well as the principle of justice involved, remembering that workingmen were, and are to some extent to-day, excluded from the privilege of participating in cleo tions. Rhode Island still holds to a property qualification. As matter of fact women are in the majority in our Eastern States, and while they are subject to all the vicissitudes which fall to the lot of men, espec. tally the working women, they have not so much as the right to attempt reforms through the ballot.
 August Rebel, the German So- cialist parliamentarian, in his book on Woman, says:
 "Millions of women are engaged in hundred different branches of industry A Il these women have an interest ill tha social legislation relating to their respec- tive callings. They are as much con ccrned as the men in all questions con cerning the length of the working day, Sunday and night work, the employ ment of children, the. form of payment. protective measures in facto- ries, the character of the workshops ard similar important legislative subjects Workmen know little or nothing about the condition of many branches in which women are exclusively or almost cxclu- sively engaged. + Finally, wo- men who are engaged in trade are con ccrned in the legislation for the regula- tion of commerce and duties. There can be no doubt whatever that women arc justified in claiming to exercise their in- huence on the direction of affairs by leg islation.'
 The indifference Of most women upon this subject, and the claim that they would not know how to use the ballot, has no force in view of the fact that this is only the case in States where they have not been called upon to exercise the functions of electors. Wyoming Territory, about to become State in the Union, has furnished sufficient evi- dence of the benefits accrulng to the community through the political influence of enfranchised women. How much more could we expect in our Eastern States where women are much more enslaved than they ever were in Wyoming. Bebel says tru- ly that;
 Nothing is settled by the argument that women have hitherto taken but lit tie interest in politics. The fact that women have not yet troubled themselves to follow the course of public events is no proof that they ought not to do so. Did not the same thing once apply to men? The same reasons that are ad- vanced against womens suffrage were made to do service against the eXten- sion of suffrage to all male adults in Ger many. After it's introduction all such objections disappeared at one blow
 We know there are thousands of men who do not vote because they take no interest in politics. And it is an admitted fact that there are many who do vote are incompetent through lack of political education to vote intelIigently. But questions are now before the people which have so close a relation to social economy, and men vii be forced to take an interest in them to save themselves from the consequences of class rule, which is only possible in this country while the people at large remain careless or ignorant of the importance of the franchise.
 Our friends in the Empire State will do we'll to consider carefully this question of woman suffrage. The influence of proletarian women en- franchised would be powerful in la Dor legislation and social reform. Workingmen at least cannot afford to ignore this, and when they are electing delegates to the constitu- tional convention, they should not neglect to make the demand for wo- man suffrage as prominent as any other plank in their platform.
 4rtist-"Bay rum:" Ftctim-"Waal,